Learn Dothraki and Valyrian

Learn Dothraki => Dothraki Language Updates => Topic started by: Khal_Qana on December 11, 2016, 12:53:55 pm

Title: What in the world is going on
Post by: Khal_Qana on December 11, 2016, 12:53:55 pm
Hey was their an update or change in the language? Something screwy is happening to me.

I've always, always been under the impression that when you use the genitive, the possessor and the possessee are put in the genitive case:

my arakh
arakhi anni

However, I looked back at the syntax page of the wiki and every example of a possessive only has the possessor in the genitive:

my arakh
arakh anni

All of my notes say that the genitive encompasses both, and I took my notes straight from the wiki, but suddenly all of that is changed. Am I completely batshit!? Have I been wrong this whole time!?
This is like the Berenstain Bears all over again...

Help!
Title: Re: What in the world is going on
Post by: HoeriVezhof on December 11, 2016, 03:37:39 pm
Hey was their an update or change in the language? Something screwy is happening to me.

I've always, always been under the impression that when you use the genitive, the possessor and the possessee are put in the genitive case:

However, I looked back at the syntax page of the wiki and every example of a possessive only has the possessor in the genitive:

All of my notes say that the genitive encompasses both, and I took my notes straight from the wiki, but suddenly all of that is changed. Am I completely batshit!? Have I been wrong this whole time!?
This is like the Berenstain Bears all over again...

Help!

It has always been my understanding that only the possessor takes the genitive or ablative, the possessed being in whatever case required of it by the sentence. Living Language: Dothraki gives these examples:

Anha Dothrak she khalasaroon Khali Fogo.  (pg. 107)
I am from the Khalasar of Khal Fogo.


Interesting that only Khal is marked, though. Does that mean names are not typically marked or only the first word in a noun phrase are marked just as only the last word of a noun phrase is marked in English? cf. Latin Legiones principis Augusti - legions[nom. pl.] emperor[gen.] Augustus[gen.]. Here both princeps and Augustus must be in the genitive.

Other examples from the exercises (pg. 115, 119) include:

arakh lajaki - the warrior's arakh
jahak neaka khaloon - the khal's long braid
vov anni - my weapon
eveth ashefasoon - water of/from the river
nharesi awazakoa - the screamers' heads
Title: Re: What in the world is going on
Post by: Hrakkar on December 12, 2016, 01:09:41 am
The wiki pages all have a changelog, so you can see what has been changed.

That said, I think this has been this way all along. These phrases lack a verb, and I think that triggers some of the agreement terms. The fact you are seeing this in David's book kind of backs this up.

There are a couple minor errors in the book though, and I need to get that errata up somewhere.
Title: Re: What in the world is going on
Post by: Khal_Qana on December 12, 2016, 06:49:07 am
It's bizarre that for the past year now I've always thought this to be true.

The worst of the salt being rubbed in my wounds is that this now clears up a lot of inconsistencies in my previous work. Especially when it comes to plurals and diminutives:

My arakh
arakhi anni
arakh anni

My arakhs
arakhi anni
arakh anni

My little arakh
arakhisi anni
arakhi anni

My little arakhs
arakhisi anni
arakhi anni

My father's arakh
arakhi avesisi anni
arakh avesi anni

My fathers' little arakhs
arakhisi avesisisi anni
arakhi avesisi anni

Under my fathers' little arakhs
torga arakhisisi avesisisi anni
torga arakhisi avesisi anni

Needless to say, I am a tad bit embarrassed by my glaring mistakes with the language. The worst of it being the translations I've done for youtube videos, and the dedication I translated for Helen Keen's new book, The Science of Game of Thrones (check it out it an awesome book). Thankfully, the professional book dedication did not contain any genitives and looking back on it, it appears to be completely fine grammar wise. I will, however, be contacting the youtubers I worked with and hopefully be able to get them to reupload the videos with a much improved grammar.